Flood control device

ABSTRACT

A flood control device which measures the volume of fluid delivered in a continuous steady flow to a house or building and which shuts off the fluid flow if a preset maximum limit is reached, indicating overly high consumption due to a leak, break or open faucet in the plumbing of the house or building. The flood control device includes a learning mode, which measures and stores information about the flow of the liquid through the flood control device.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No.08/691,569, also entitled "Flood Control Device," and filed on Aug. 2,1996 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,782,263.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to a safety device which cutsoff the water supply to a house or building in the event of overly highwater consumption due to a leak, break or open faucet in the plumbing ofa house or building. More particularly, the present invention relates toa flood control device which measures the volume of fluid delivered in acontinuous steady flow and which shuts off the fluid flow when a presetmaximum limit has been exceeded.

2. Description of the Related Art

Other than a fire, perhaps the most catastrophic type of damage whichcan occur to a home or other building is damage due to water leakagefrom a broken or badly leaking water line. Since water supply lines mayrun throughout a house or other building, a leak may occur in the heartof the house or other building, and may result in extensive damage bothto the structure and to the contents prior to the water supply beingmanually shut off.

The main causes of runaway water leakage are ruptured pipes, tubes orfittings; faulty washing machine hoses, water heaters, supply lines andother plumbing equipment; rusty or aging components, electrolysis, poorinstallation practices, poor quality materials, frozen pipes, tubes orhoses, earthquake activity and pressure surges. With so many differentfactors that can create plumbing failures and runaway water leaks, onecan readily realize the need for a fluid shutoff safety device. Floodingin a home or other building brings water damage resulting in extensivedestruction and expense. Massive difficulties ensue in the wake ofinterior structural flooding as families and businesses must contendwith problems including substantial loss of time, money and the home,office or other building involved.

In the prior art, there exists a number of devices which are designed tocontrol flow and to act as a shutoff in the event of a leak. Thesedevices generally fall into two major categories, namely the shockoperated type and the flow or pressure operated type. The shock operateddevice is designed to shut off flow in the event of a major shock suchas that of an earthquake or the like. Examples of such devices are foundin Lloyd, U.S. Pat. No. 3,747,616, and Mueller, U.S. Pat. No. 3,768,497and Pasmany, U.S. Pat. No. 4,091,831. These devices are all designed foruse with gas lines and do not address the problem of breaks or leaks inthe line downstream of the devices. In addition, the shock operated typeof control valves do not address the problem of broken or leaking wateror gas lines due to normal erosion or the possibility that someone hassimply opened a faucet or line and has forgotten to close it.

The second approach, which causes a shutoff of flow in the event of anoverly large flow rate or an excess pressure change across the device,is illustrated, for example, by Frager, U.S. Pat. No. 2,659,383,Bandemortelli, U.S. Pat. No. 4,522,229, and Quenin, U.S. Pat. No.4,665,932. All three of these devices are designed primarily forindustrial applications and are large, complex and expensive andtherefore, inappropriate for use in a home or other relatively smallbuilding. A simpler valve control device designed to cut off the watersupply to a house or building is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,880,030entitled "Safety Flow Control Fluid Shutoff Device." This device detectsa downstream plumbing break or leak by sensing a water pressure increasewithin the valve. This increase in water pressure forces a piston toblock the outlet of the device, thereby stopping flow through thedevice. It should be understood that the terms, "valve control device,""control valves" and "flood control devices or valves" as used herein,are synonymous and interchangeable.

Control valves which detect a high rate of flow have many drawbacks.With these types of control valves, undesired shut-offs may occurbecause of a high rate of flow under normal service conditions due toincreases of water or gas consumption during a given period or increasesin population in a water main's area, for example. Furthermore, if abreak occurs, a great amount of water might run away before thepredetermined value of rate of flow has been reached to effectuate avalve shut-off. Control valves which are pressure sensitive are also notreliable because there are many factors that can cause a change in waterpressure, which does not necessarily mean that there is an overflow offluid. For example, in a system where water mains are connected togetherin any number and one of these mains breaks, the pressure head decreasesswiftly not only on the broken main but also on all the other mains andthe respective control valves which are connected to these mains mayunnecessarily close at the same time. Also, if a pressure sensitivecontrol valve is located in a high place and the upstream length of themain is great, the pressure differences due to gravitational forces cancause variations in the shut-off parameters, leading to possibleshut-offs which are unnecessary and inconvenient to customers as well asto water supply companies.

The prior art valve control devices described above do not address theproblem of a faucet which has inadvertently been left open. There is noway for these devices to distinguish this situation from everyday normalwater use. Furthermore, these prior art valve control devices areunreliable in detecting gradual leaks that create gradual changes inpressure which may be undetectable by the device.

Thus, there clearly exists a need for an improved valve control devicethat overcomes the deficiencies of the prior art devices and reliablyeliminates the potential hazard of flooding. Moreover, such a device isneeded which has the capability to measure the volume of a continuousflow of fluid and shut the fluid flow off when a preset maximum volumelimit has been reached. Further, an improved flood control valve isneeded that can be set for different fluid volumes depending on the sizeof the building or home or water usage in a particular operation. Thiswould allow a user to advantageously change the volume of fluid which isused during one session to meet the fluid consumption demands of his orher particular home or building.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One embodiment of the invention is a flood control device comprising ahousing having an inlet and an outlet, a flow detector for detecting avolume of fluid continuously flowing into the inlet, a controller,coupled to the flow detector, for monitoring the volume of continuousfluid flow detected by the flow detector, wherein the controller has astandard mode which is used during normal operation and a learning modewhich determines a maximum usage volume of the fluid flow, and ashut-off mechanism, coupled to the controller, for shutting off the flowof fluid when the volume being monitored by the controller has reachedthe maximum usage volume.

Another embodiment of the invention is a flood control device,comprising a housing having a inlet and an outlet, a controller whichlearns information about the flow of a liquid through the housing, and ashut-off mechanism, coupled to the controller, for shutting off the flowof fluid when the controller detects a slow leak.

Another embodiment of the invention is a system which shuts off the flowof fluid to a plumbing system of a house or building in the event that abreak or leak in the plumbing, or an overflow of water, is detected, thesystem comprising the steps of means for starting a learning mode whichidentifies a maximum volume of constant fluid flow through a controlvalve, means for measuring the maximum volume of fluid which constantlyflows through a control valve, means for starting a standard mode, meansfor measuring the volume of fluid, and means for closing the controlvalve such that no fluid may flow through the control valve when thevolume of fluid has reached the maximum volume of fluid measured in thelearning mode.

Another embodiment of the invention is a liquid flow valve, comprising ahousing having a inlet and an outlet, and a controller which learnsinformation about the flow of a liquid through the housing.

Yet another embodiment of the invention is a method of shutting off theflow of fluid to the plumbing system of a house or building in the eventthat a break or leak in the plumbing, or an overflow of water, isdetected, the method comprising the steps of (a) starting a learningmode which identifies a maximum volume of constant fluid flow through acontrol valve, (b) measuring the maximum volume of fluid whichconstantly flows through a control valve, (c) starting a standard mode,(d) measuring the volume of fluid, and (e) closing the control valvesuch that no fluid may flow through the control valve when the volume offluid has reached the maximum volume of fluid measured in the learningmode.

Yet another embodiment of the invention is a method of shutting off theflow of fluid to the plumbing system of a house or building in the eventthat a break or leak in the plumbing, or an overflow of water, isdetected, the method comprising the steps of (a) recording in a firstmode a maximum volume of continuous fluid flow, (b) receiving in asecond mode an inflow of fluid into a control valve wherein the inflowof fluid rotates a rotary structure a specified number of times for agiven volume of fluid entering the control valve, (c) counting in asecond mode the number of rotations of the rotary structure, (d)determining in a second mode if the number of rotations has reached themaximum volume of continues fluid flow, and (e) closing in a second modethe control valve so that no fluid may flow through if the number ofrotations reaches the maximum volume of continuous flow.

The present invention achieves an excellent resolution of the problem ofplumbing breaks and leaks in a house or building. In fact, the floodcontrol device of the present invention ensures reliable shutoff in theevent of an overflow of fluid. The device may also include means forbypassing the safety flow operation, if desired, by providing a bypassswitch or an off position setting in which the flood control device isnot monitoring the volume of fluid flow through the device. Further, thepresent invention is of simple construction and installation, therebyenabling it to be easily and quickly installed in the plumbing system ofany house or building.

Although the following embodiments will be described in the context offluid shut-off in the event of the overflow of fluid, one of ordinaryskill in the art can easily implement the principles of operation of thepresent invention to address the problems of an overflow of gas orelectrical current to a house or building.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other aspects, features and advantages of the presentinventions will be more apparent when presented in conjunction with thefollowing drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of one embodiment of the flood control deviceof the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an elevational, cross-sectional, side view of an embodiment ofthe flood control device of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional, top view of the flood control device shownin FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 shows a liquid crystal display (LCD) and corresponding membraneswitches used to manually adjust the volume preset at which point theflood control device of the present invention will close.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the flood controldevice of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart of the learning mode of the flood control devicein FIG. 1.

FIG. 7A is an elevational, cross-sectional, side view of anotherembodiment of the flood control device of the present invention.

FIG. 7B is an elevational view of one embodiment of the coupling devicewhich may be used in the flood control device of FIG. 7A.

FIG. 8A is a cross-sectional top view of the flood control device ofFIG. 7A.

FIG. 8B is a top view of the flood control device of FIG. 7A.

FIG. 9A is an elevational, cross-sectional, side view of anotherembodiment of the flood control device of the present invention.

FIG. 9B is a top view of the coupling and triggering mechanism which maybe utilized in the flood control device of FIG. 8A.

FIG. 9C is an elevational side view of the coupling and triggeringmechanism which may be utilized in the flood control device of FIG. 8A.

FIG. 9D is a top view of the visual gauge which may be utilized in theflood control device of FIG. 8A.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The following description of the present invention is not to be taken ina limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of describing thegeneral principles of the invention. The scope of the invention shouldbe determined with reference to the claims.

It should be understood at the outset that although the flood controlvalve of the present invention will be described in the context of waterflow in the water lines and plumbing of houses and buildings, the floodcontrol device of the present invention may also be utilized to providecontrol valves in other areas such as gas lines or systems in which theflow of gas must be regulated. The principles of operation of the floodcontrol valve of the present invention not only provide a means forpreventing water damage due to broken, leaking or open water lines, butcan also prevent, or at least lessen, the dangerous conditions whichresult from broken, leaking or open gas lines.

It is a primary function of a flood control valve to prevent waterdamage to a house or building in which a plumbing line, faucet, or otherwater source is broken, leaking or inadvertently left open. To this end,the flood control valve of the present invention operates on theprinciple of metering and measuring the volume of fluid delivered in acontinuous steady flow. Such a flood control valve is extremely reliablebecause the measurement of the volume of a continuous flow is relativelyeasy and accurate when compared to measuring flow rate changes andpressure changes as in the prior art devices. It is easy to envision theutility that such a reliable flood control valve can provide, forexample, in an earthquake situation when there may be many broken lines.By selectively shutting off certain water mains and/or lines, the floodcontrol device of the present invention can close those mains and lineswhich are wasting water and causing flooding, while keeping openoperational water mains and/or lines for use by firefighters or otheremergency personnel. By closing off the broken mains and lines, theflood control valve of the present invention ensures that there will beadequate water pressure in the interconnected mains and lines for use byfirefighters and other emergency personnel. Historically, inadequatewater pressure resulting from broken water mains and lines has posedsignificant problems for firefighters in their battle against fireswhich typically arise in the aftermath of a serious earthquake. Itshould also be noted that the flood control valve of the presentinvention may be strategically located in the plumbing system of a houseor building to shut-off only certain, specified lines. For example, byplacing the flood control device downstream of a fire-sprinkler system,the flood control device will not be affected by the consumption ofwater by the sprinkler system in the event of a fire.

In addition to its primary function of preventing flooding in a house orbuilding, the flood control valve of the present invention may also beused as a water conservation device. By shutting off the flow of fluidafter a predetermined volume of fluid has been measured flowing throughthe device, the flood control device can effectively curtail the wasteof water by broken or leaking pipes or by users who unnecessarily useexcess amounts of water. It is readily apparent that such a floodcontrol device would be of tremendous value in states such as Californiaor Arizona, for example, where fresh water is scarce and itsconservation is a major concern to their respective populations.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a flood control valve 100 whichincludes an inlet 101 that may be connected to any incoming watersource, such as a water main. The inlet 101 is typically of cylindricaldesign and of standard shape to mate with standard water lines for homeor business use. Additionally, the inlet 100 may be either internally orexternally threaded in order to meet the particular requirements of agiven application. It is to be understood, however, that the shape, sizeand mating characteristics of the inlet 101 may be varied in order toachieve connectivity with any type of water supply line. Flood controldevice 100 further includes an outlet 109 which is connected to theplumbing system of a house or building. Similar to the inlet 101, theoutlet 109 may have any shape, size and mating characteristics in orderto achieve connectivity with any type of plumbing line, pipe or faucetof a house or building.

Between inlet 101 and outlet 109, and within a housing 111, the floodcontrol valve 100 further includes a flow detector 103, a controller 105and a shut-off mechanism 107. The flow detector 103 serves the functionof measuring the volume, or quantity, of fluid which has continuouslypassed through the flood control valve 100. When a preset volume offluid has been detected by flow detector 103, the controller 105 willactivate the shut-off mechanism 107 which then shuts off either theinlet 101 or the outlet 109, thereby stopping any further flow of fluidthrough flood control valve 100.

Referring to FIG. 2, a flood control device 200 which operates inaccordance with the present invention is shown. As fluid flows intoinlet 211, the volume of fluid is measured by an electronic circuit 203that counts revolutions of an axial or centrifugal impeller 213. In thepreferred embodiment, an axial impeller 213 is used and a predeterminednumber of revolutions of the axial impeller 213 represents a gallon offluid. The continuous flow of fluid counts up on an electronic counter202 of electronic circuit 203, toward a preset (selected) volume offlow, which may be stored in electronic circuit 203.

When the counter 202 or electronic circuit 203 indicates that the flowhas reached the preset number of gallons (revolutions) the electroniccircuit 203 activates a solenoid 207 which in turn activates a trigger239. The activation of trigger 239 closes outlet 227 to stop all flow ofthe fluid through the flood control device 200 as will be explained inmore detail below. The flood control device 200 remains closed until itis manually re-opened by re-cocking a cocking lever 237, which functionsas a release mechanism. The functioning of the cocking lever 237 will bedescribed in further detail below. If at any time the flow of fluid isstopped before reaching the preset volume limit, the electronic countingmechanism 202 of electronic circuit 203 resets itself to zero. Theelectronic circuit 203 is of relatively simple design and includes acounter 202, a memory 204 for storing the values of the preset maximumvolume at which the flood control device 200 will shut off fluid flow, alogic circuit 206 for determining when the preset maximum volume limithas been reached and a switch 208 which transfers power form a powersource, e.g., a battery pack, to a trigger mechanism such as solenoid207 which will be described in further detail below. The memory 204 andlogic circuit 206 also keep track of whether there is a continuous flowof water. If there is a break or lapse in the flow of water, memory 204and logic circuit 206 will detect this and reset electronic counter 202to zero. This function will be described in greater detail below.

A constant flow of fluid through the flood control valve 200 causes thehelical axial impeller 213 to turn, even at very low flow rates. Theimpeller is of very low mass and mounted on either end on small, lowresistance bearings 219 which are housed in axial impeller cartridge215. In the preferred embodiment, axial impeller cartridge is removableso that it may be cleaned or replaced as necessary to ensure properoperation of the flood control valve 200. The material used to constructthe impeller 213 should displace the same weight as the fluid beingtransferred. When this is achieved, the friction within the bearings isreduced since the impeller is neither floating nor sinking, either ofwhich would place a radial load on the impeller bearings 219. In thepreferred embodiment, helical axial impeller 213 may be made from asuitable plastic or nylon material having a mass which achieves neutralradial loading when immersed in water.

The impeller 213 has, located on one or several of its vanes, one ormore indicator masses 217, preferably of a metal or magnetic material,which can be detected as they pass a proximity sensing device 205, asthe impeller is turned by the flow of fluid. The proximity sensingdevice 205 can be a magnetic reed switch, a "hall effect," eddy current,or optical detector, all of which are well-known in the art. Use of thistype of proximity device allows the detection of fluid flow withoutpenetrating the pressure vessel of the fluid line with shafts, wires, orother devices that move, require seals, and represent potential leaks.Resistance on the impeller is minimal or nonexistent, allowing detectionat very low flow rates.

As fluid flow turns the impeller 213, the proximity sensing device 205sends a pulsing electronic signal to the electronic circuit 203.Electronic counter 202 includes a clock that measures the durationbetween successive pulses. Memory 204 records this pulse duration andlogic circuit 206 determines a specified time as a function of thispulse duration, e.g., 2× pulse duration, which, if exceeded, indicates abreak in the flow of fluid. The electronic counter 202 of electroniccircuit 203 counts only pulses that are no more than the specifiedlength of time apart. As long as the duration of time between pulses isno more than the specified length of time, the counter 202 continues tolog pulses. Whenever the specified length of time is exceeded, thecounter 202 resets to zero. Thus, only continuous flow through the floodcontrol valve is measured, so that normal operation of faucets, toilets,etc. will not release the valve but an abnormally long continuous flowwill.

In a preferred embodiment, when a specific number of pulses (i.e. 200pulses=5 gal.) is reached, the electronic circuit 203 closes switch 208and activates a solenoid 207 having a plunger 243 within the solenoid207. In one embodiment, the specific number of pulses is set manually.In another embodiment of the invention, the specific number of pulses isdetermined by the electronic circuit 203 during a learning mode. Thelearning mode is described in more detail with reference to FIG. 6. Whencurrent is applied to 207, the plunger 243 is forced upward therebyactivating a trigger mechanism 239 which holds the cocking lever 237 inplace. The solenoid 207 and corresponding plunger 243 operate under thewell-known principles of electromagnetic induction and such devices arewell-known in the art and commercially available. When the trigger 239releases the cocking lever 237, the cocking lever 237 rotates axiallyabout cam shaft 229 which is attached to the cocking lever 237, which inturn rotates a cam 225. The cocking lever 237 is rotated by means of adrive spring 233 which is held in a coiled position when the cockinglever 237 is in the cocked position. Upon release of the cocking lever237 by the trigger mechanism 239, the drive spring 233 uncoils therebyrotating the cocking lever 237, the cam shaft 229 and the cam 225. Atthis point, the cam 225 is in the closed position.

The shut off mechanism can be either a gate valve, a rotating ballvalve, or a ball check valve. The preferred shut off mechanism is theball check valve type as shown in FIG. 2. This valve consists of a ball223 placed in a ball chamber 220 which is in the flowpath of the fluid.The cam 225 controlled by shaft 229 and cocking lever 237 holds the ball223 out of a seat 224. The seat 224 and cam 225 are downstream from theball 223. When the cam 225 is rotated to the position which releases theball 223, the ball 223 moves into the seat 224, shutting off all fluidflow through the flood control valve. A ball spring 218 can be used toensure seating of the ball 223 at very low flow rates. This allowsshutting down of fluid flow even from a pinhole leak.

The outlet 227 remains in the closed position until the cocking lever237 is manually placed in the cocked position and fluid flow isrestored. As the cocking lever 237 is moved to the cocked position, thecam 225 pushes the ball 223 out of its seat 224 to the open position.Longitudinal movement of the ball 223 in and out of the seat 224 isguaranteed by three ball guide ribs 221, equally placed around the ballchamber 220. Spring loading of the cocking lever 237 causes it to moveto the closed position when it is released by triggering mechanism 239.Packing seal 231, or otherwise known as stem packing, is preferably usedaround the cam shaft, since it penetrates the liquid pressure chamber.Packing seal 231 ensures a water-tight seal so that leaks in the floodcontrol valve 200 are prevented.

The electronic circuit 203 which counts the rotations of helical axialimpeller 213, is of simple design which may be implemented by one ofordinary skill in the electronic circuitry field. In the preferredembodiment, electronic circuit 203 is an application specific integratedcircuit (ASIC) chip which is compact in size and possesses low powerrequirements. The electronic counter 202, memory 204 and switch 208 ofelectronic circuit 203 may be standard components which are well-knownin the art. Logic circuit 206 of electronic circuit 203 is also ofrelatively simple design and in one embodiment, may be a comparatorwhich compares pulse signals and makes a determination as a result ofthe comparison. Such a logic circuit may be implemented by one ofordinary skill in the electronic circuitry art.

The power to drive the electronic circuitry 203 and the solenoid 207 maybe provided by solar cell charged batteries; a power supply transformerplugged into a wall outlet in which the power supply drives the circuitboard and keeps a backup battery charged; or a long-life battery pack235, preferably of the lithium type, as shown in FIG. 2, that drives thecircuit for three to five years, or more, and if available, with a lowbattery aural warning. The long life battery pack 235 with a low powerdrain electronic circuit is the preferred power source.

Optionally, as shown in FIG. 2, the flood control valve 200 may alsoinclude one or more permanent magnets 245 attached to axial impeller213. When the axial impeller 213 begins to rotate, the permanent magnets245 successively pass a coil generator 247, thereby inducing current toflow in the coil of the coil generator 247. As the axial impeller 213spins faster, the induced current increases. This current may be used tocharge the long-life battery pack 235.

A top view of flood control valve 200 is shown in FIG. 3. From FIG. 3one can see the relative positions of cam 225 and ball 223 in their openand closed positions.

FIG. 4 shows a LCD display 400 which may be utilized to indicate themaximum volume of continuous fluid flow, e.g., 12 gallons, at whichpoint the flood control device 200 will shut off. Membrane push buttonswitches 401, 403 allow the user to set the desired maximum volumeallowed before the valve will shut off flow, by scrolling up or down. Inthe preferred embodiment, to conserve energy, the display is normallyoff, and is activated by pushing one of the membrane push buttons 401,403. After 20 seconds, the display turns off. The LCD display 400 alongwith corresponding membrane switches 401, 403, may be coupled toelectronic circuit 203 (FIG. 2) of flood control device 200, so that apreset volume limit may be adjusted and stored into electronic circuit203. Additionally, the LCD display 400 may provide a bypass setting inwhich the flood control device 200 may be bypassed altogether when it isdesired or necessary to continuously consume a large volume of water,e.g., filling a swimming pool. In the bypass mode, the flood controldevice 200 may be bypassed through a bypass pipe (not shown) or simplynever trigger the shut-off mechanism to shut-off fluid flow. Such LCDdisplays are well-known in the art and are commercially available.Similarly, membrane push button switches 401 and 403 are also well-knownin the art and are commercially available. The LCD may also include alearning mode push button 406. The learning mode push button 406 may beused to enter and exit a learning mode. During the learning mode, theelectronic circuit 203 monitors volume flow through the flood controldevice 200, and stores information concerning the maximum volume whichflowed through the valve between flow stopped conditions. The maximumvolume detected during the learning mode is used by the flood controldevice 200 in a standard mode to determine when too much liquid hasflowed through the flood control device 200. This feature is describedin more detail below with reference to FIG. 6.

FIG. 5 shows another schematic diagram of the flood control valve of thepresent invention. Flood control valve 500 includes an inlet 501 whichreceives fluid from a water source external to the house or buildingbeing protected, e.g., a water main. A counter wheel 503, located withinflood control valve 500, rotates a specified number of times for a givenvolume of fluid flowing into inlet 501. A counter 505, coupled tocounter wheel 503, measures the volume of fluid, e.g., gallons,continuously flowing through the valve 500 by counting the number ofrotations of counter wheel 503. The counter 505 may be a mechanical orelectronic counter either of which are well-known in the art. Acontroller 507, coupled to the counter 505, monitors the counter 505 andwhen a preset volume of fluid has been measured, the controller 507 willactivate a gate driver 513 to close a gate 515, shutting off the outlet517. If the fluid flow stops before the preset volume limit is reached,the counter 505 resets to zero. Therefore, only a continuous flow offluid which reaches the preset volume will be detected as a break, leak,or opening in the pipes or faucet.

The controller 507 may be of mechanical design which advances amechanical trigger which in turn activates the gate driver 513 when thepreset volume of fluid has been reached. Alternatively, the controller507 may be an electronic circuit which electronically activates the gatedriver 513 when the preset volume of fluid has been reached. The gatedriver 513 may alternatively be of mechanical design, such as aspring-loaded type which releases shut-off gate 515 when activated bythe controller 505. However, it should be understood that the counterwheel 503, counter 505, controller 507, gate driver 513 and gate 515 arenot limited to the above descriptions thereof which are merelyexemplary. Other embodiments of the components above will be readilyapparent to those of ordinary skill in the art and are within the scopeof the present invention.

The flood control valve 500 also includes a reset button 511, coupled tocontroller 507, which will open the gate 515 and reset the counter 505to a value of zero. The flood control valve 500 also includes a bypasspipe 519 through which fluid flow will be directed upon activation of abypass switch 509. In the bypass mode, flood control valve 500 simplybecomes a connecting valve or pipe through which fluid may flow.

As mentioned above, one advantageous aspect of the present inventionincludes a learning mode for the flood control device. FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating one embodiment of this learning process. The processis described herein as applied to the valve of FIGS. 2-4 but the sameprinciples may be applied to the valves of FIGS. 7A through 9D as well.Refering now to FIG. 6, at a state 550, the electronic circuit 203receives a request to enter the learning mode. Typically, the request toenter the learning mode is initiated by the user pressing the learningmode button 406. Moving to a state 552, the learning circuit 203 setstwo variables NEW₋₋ COUNT and MAXIMUM₋₋ GALLONS equal to zero inpreparation for recording the maximum volume flow through the floodcontrol device 200 between flow stopped conditions. For each period offluid flow, the variable NEW₋₋ COUNT represents the volume of fluid thatpassed through the flood control device 200 during that interval. Thevariable NEW₋₋ COUNT is reinitialized to zero at or prior to thebeginning of each continuous flow interval. The electronic circuit 203uses the variable MAXIMUM₋₋ GALLONS to define the maximum continuousfluid flow through the flood control device 200 during the learningprocess. The variable MAXIMUM₋₋ GALLONS will thus be equal to thehighest value of NEW₋₋ COUNT which was obtained while the valve was inlearning mode.

Next, at a state 554, the electronic circuit 203 increments NEW₋₋ COUNTfor each gallon of water which flows through the valve until water flowstops. Moving to a decision state 556, the electronic circuit 203evaluates whether the value of NEW₋₋ COUNT is greater than the value ofMAXIMUM₋₋ GALLONS. If the variable NEW₋₋ COUNT is less than the variableMAXIMUM₋₋ GALLONS, the electronic circuit 203 proceeds to the decisionstate 560. Otherwise, if the variable NEW₋₋ COUNT is greater than thevariable MAXIMUM₋₋ GALLONS, the electronic circuit 203 sets the variableMAXIMUM₋₋ GALLONS equal to NEW₋₋ COUNT at a state 558. During the firstiteration of this loop, the value of NEW₋₋ COUNT will be greater thanthe value of MAXIMUM₋₋ GALLONS since the variable MAXIMUM₋₋ GALLONS wasset to zero in the state 554.

Referring again to decision state 560, if the variable NEW₋₋ COUNT wasnot greater than the maximum value, or after setting the MAXIMUM₋₋GALLONS equal to NEW₋₋ COUNT in state 558, the electronic circuit 203determines whether the learning period has ended. In one embodiment ofthe invention, the learning period ends if the user pushes the learningbutton 406 a second time. In another embodiment, the learning periodends after a predetermined amount of time. In yet another embodiment ofthe invention, the length of the learning mode is input by the userthrough the use of the pushbuttons 401 and 403. It will be appreciatedthat the learning period could be of essentially any length, although itis preferable to allow sufficient time to observe normal high fluidusage periods. For many installations, 3-30 days is often suitable.

If the electronic circuit 203 determines that the learning period hasnot ended, at step 562 the electronic circuit 203 sets the variableNEW₋₋ COUNT equal to zero in preparation for evaluating the nextcontinuous volume flow of liquid and the electronic circuit 203 returnsto a state 554 to continue recording and evaluating the maximum volumeflow. Otherwise, if the end of the learning period is reached, at astate 564 the electronic circuit 203 optionally displays the newMAXIMUM₋₋ GALLONS to the user via the LCD display 400. Next, at state566, the electronic circuit 203 ends the learning mode, and the value ofthe variable MAXIMUM₋₋ GALLONS is retained in memory.

During a standard mode of normal operation, the electronic circuit 203uses the variable MAXIMUM₋₋ GALLONS which was calculated in the learningmode in a manner analagous to the preset limit described above. In oneembodiment of the invention, the electronic circuit 203 uses the volumeof liquid represented by MAXIMUM₋₋ GALLONS as the maximum amount ofvolume that can continuously flow through the flood control device 200before the flood control device 200 shuts off the volume flow. Inanother embodiment of the invention, the flood control device uses thevolume of liquid represented by MAXIMUM₋₋ GALLONS to calculate a highershut-off volume by multiplying the measured MAXIMUM₋₋ GALLONS by ascaling factor of greater than 1. By using a higher volume of liquid asthe shut-off event, a measure of fault tolerance is incorporated intothe learning mode, if for some reason, the volume flow throughout thelearning period was too low.

One embodiment of a flood control device 200 according to the presentinvention thus provides a learning mode which can monitor the maximumusage of the liquid flowing through the flood control device over aselected time period. The flood control device 200 uses this measurementto allow normal and everyday use of the liquid. However, if an excessivecontinuous volume flow in relation to the maximum volume flow isdetected, the flood control device advantageously disables the flow.

FIG. 7A shows a purely mechanical implementation of a flood controlvalve 600. In accordance with the present invention, flood control valve600 also operates on the principle of metering and measuring the volumeof fluid in a continuous flow. A steady flow of fluid moves a triggermechanism 619 toward a release mechanism 623 to release a shut off gate633 when a preset maximum volume limit has been reached. If flow stopsprior to the limit being reached, the trigger mechanism 619 is reset andmade ready for the next flow cycle. The flood control valve 600 isdesigned to be installed on the main flow line to a residence or otherbuilding.

Operation of flood control valve 600 is started when fluid flows intoinlet 601 and through a helical screw 603, located at the center of thevalve 600, causing the helical screw 603 to rotate. For each rotation ofthe screw 603, a fixed volume of fluid moves through the valve. A screwshaft 605, driven by the helical screw 603, is connected to a couplingdevice 615 via a pair of 45° bevel gears 607, 609. As shown in FIGS. 7Aand 7B, bevel gear 607 is connected to screw shaft 605 and bevel gear609 is connected to a drive shaft 613 which drives coupling device 615.The coupling device 615 serves the function of advancing the triggermechanism 619 during constant flow conditions and allowing it to resetonce flow stops.

As shown in FIG. 7B, the coupling device 615 is coupled to drive shaft613 by means of spring elements 653 which are connected to a pair ofsemi-circular "pads" 655, or contact pads 655, located within a "drum"formed within the output drive shaft 651. When water is flowing, thedriving force imparted by the water turns the input drive shaft 613 andpresses the contact pads 655 tightly against the driven drum surface ofthe output drive shaft 651. In this way, power is transferred across thecoupling device 615 to advance the trigger mechanism 619 whilecompressing or "winding up" a spring element (not shown) attached to theoutput drive shaft 651 of the coupling device 615.

The trigger mechanism 619 is moved along a rotary belt 617 which movesas the output drive shaft 651 of coupling device 615 rotates. When theflow of water stops, the force pressing the contact pads 655 against thedriven drum surface of output drive shaft 651 goes away and the spring(not shown) which is attached to the output drive shaft 651 begins tounwind. In this way, the output drive shaft 651 begins to rotate in theopposite direction and the trigger mechanism 619 returns to its originalposition. Very little resistance is offered by the contact pads 655 whenthe drum is rotating in the "unwinding" direction because this motiontends to compress the spring elements 653 on which the contact pads 655are mounted.

The shut-off gate 633 is located perpendicular to the flow at theentrance, or inlet, to the valve 600. It extends above and below theflow with flow passing through a hole in its center. The gate 633 isspring loaded by means of spring 629 and held in a cocked position by areleasing mechanism. The releasing mechanism consists of a rack 631 andpinion 625 with the rectangular cross section rack 631 spring loaded, bymeans of spring 621, as the latch in the shut-off gate 633. The pinion625 has a lever which, when actuated by the linear motion of the trigger619, will move rack 631, thereby releasing the shut-off gate 633.

As shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, the pinion 625 is attached to a moveablestructure 623 which may be adjusted linearly to change the maximumallowable flow setting. The pinion 625 and its structure 623 may bemoved to an off position which raises the pinion above the rackpreventing their contact and thus disengaging the triggering mechanism.

When the maximum flow limit has been exceeded, the shut-off gate 633 isreleased and flow is stopped. In its latched position, a portion of theshut-off gate 633 extends through the flow control valve casing. Thedownward motion of the shut-off gate 633 exposes a greater amount of theshut-off gate 633, equal to the vertical displacement of the gate 633.Resetting the gate 633 is simply accomplished by pressing up on theshutoff gate 633 and returning it to its latched position.

Referring to FIG. 9A, another embodiment of a flood control valve 800 ofthe present invention is shown. Similar to the flood control valve 600of FIGS. 7A and 7B, the flood control valve 800 operates on theprinciple of metering and measuring the volume of fluid in a continuousflow. Operation of flood control valve 800 is started when fluid flowsinto inlet 801, through a helical screw 803, located at the center ofthe valve 800, causing the helical screw 803 to rotate. For eachrotation of the screw 803, a fixed volume of fluid moves through thevalve. A screw shaft 805, driven by the helical screw 803, is coupled toa rotation gear 813 via a pair of 45 degree bevel gears 807, 809. Asshown in FIG. 9A, bevel gear 807 is connected to screw shaft 805 andbevel gear 809 is connected to a drive shaft 811 which drives therotation gear 813 by means of a second 45 degree bevel gear 812 (FIG.9B) which is coupled to rotation gear 813.

Referring to FIG. 9B, as fluid flow causes rotation gear 813 to rotate,a coupling device 815 begins rotating as a result of the movement ofrotation gear 813. The coupling device 815 is similar to the couplingdevice 615 of FIGS. 7A and 7B which is described above and need not befurther described here. As coupling device 815 begins rotating, driveshaft 817, coupled to coupling device 815 also begins rotating therebyrotating a worm gear 819 which is coupled to a drive gear 821. As shownin FIG. 9B, as worm gear 819 begins rotating, drive gear 821 is causedto rotate clockwise, thereby moving a usage indicator 823. Below drivegear 821 a triggering gear 825 is located on the same radial axis asdrive gear 821.

Referring to FIG. 9C, as drive gear 821 rotates clockwise, a movinglatch 827 moves toward a trigger point 824 which is attached totriggering gear 825. When the moving latch 827 contacts the triggeringpoint 824, triggering gear 825 also begins rotating clockwise therebyrotating a spring loaded trigger arm 835 which is mechanically coupledto triggering gear 825 in gear like fashion. When spring loaded triggerarm 835 is moved by triggering gear 825 a gate latch 839 is moved towardthe right thereby releasing a gate 843 to close the inlet 801 of theflood control valve 800. If fluid flow stops before the preset limit hasbeen reached, coupling device 815 will disengage drive shaft 817 and atorsional spring 837 will begin rotating the drive gear 821counterclockwise thereby resetting the usage indicator 823 to itsoriginal position. As explained above coupling device 815 is similar tothe coupling device 615 of FIGS. 7A and 7B. Coupling device 815 includesspring elements, contact pads, and an output drive shaft which issimilar to those elements as described in relation to coupling device615 above.

As shown in FIGS. 9A and 9C, the flood control device 800 also includesa setting knob 831 which may be pulled up to set the knob to disengagethe flood control valve and thereby operate the valve in a bypass mode.By pressing down on setting knob 831, the setting knob 831 may be turnedto set the maximum volume at which the flood control valve will shut offfluid flow. FIG. 9D shows a top view of a gauge design by which a usercan set the setting knob 831 to a desired volume setting.

While the above detailed description has shown, described, and pointedout fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to variousembodiments, it will be understood that various omissions andsubstitutions and changes in the form and details of the systemillustrated may be made by those skilled in the art, without departingfrom the intent of the invention. The scope of the invention isindicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoingdescription. All changes which come within the meaning and range ofequivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.

What is claimed is:
 1. A flood control device comprising:a housinghaving an inlet and an outlet; a flow detector within the housing fordetecting a volume of fluid continuously flowing into the inlet; acontroller, coupled to the flow detector, for monitoring the volume ofcontinuous fluid flow detected by the flow detector; and a shut-offmechanism, coupled to the controller, for shutting off the flow of fluidout of the outlet; wherein the controller has a standard mode in whichsaid controller closes said shut-off mechanism in response to continuousfluid flow into the inlet that exceeds a predetermined maximum, andwherein the controller has a learning mode in which the controllermonitors continuous fluid flow into the inlet so as to automaticallydetermine said predetermined maximum which is used during the standardmode.
 2. The flood control device of claim 1, further comprising alearning switch which toggles the controller between the learning modeand the standard mode.
 3. The flood control device of claim 1, whereinsaid flow detector comprises an axial impeller which rotates a specifiednumber of times for a given volume of fluid flowing through the controldevice.
 4. The flood control device of claim 2, wherein said axialimpeller further comprises at least one indicator mass on at least oneof its vanes.
 5. The flood control device of claim 3, wherein saidcontroller comprises:a proximity detector for sensing when said at leastone indicator mass passes by the proximity detector, thereby indicatinga rotation of said axial impeller; an electronic circuit, coupled to theproximity detector, for counting the number of rotations of the axialimpeller; and a solenoid, coupled to the electronic circuit, fortriggering said shut-off mechanism when the electronic circuit hascounted a number of rotations determined by the maximum usage observedof the axial impeller during the learning mode.
 6. The flood controldevice of claim 4, wherein said shut-off mechanism comprises:a trigger,coupled to said solenoid; a cocking lever, releasably coupled to thetrigger; a cam shaft, attached to the cocking lever; a cam, attached tothe cam shaft; and a ball engaging the cam such that when the trigger isactivated by said solenoid, the cocking lever releases from a cockedposition, rotating the cam shaft and cam and allowing the ball to beseated in a seat of said outlet, thereby closing the outlet and stoppingfluid flow through the flood control device.
 7. The flood control deviceof claim 4, wherein said at least one indicator mass is a metal mass. 8.The flood control device of claim 4, wherein said at least one indicatormass is a magnetic mass.
 9. The flood control device of claim 1 whereinsaid controller is an electronic circuit which measures and monitors thevolume of fluid flow sensed by said flow detector and activates saidshut-off mechanism to close the control valve when a volume of fluid ismeasured equal to the maximum usage observed during the learning modemultiplied by a scale factor of equal to or greater than 1.